Soap holder



May 2 1939'. c. GRAHAM 2,156,940

S OAP HOLDER Filed May 26, 1937 /fumkff ATTORNEY Patented May 2,1939

SOAP HOLDER Charlotte Graham, New York, N. Y.

Application May 26, 1937, Serial No. 144,802

3 claims.

This invention relates to receptacles in general, and particularly towhat may be termed porous or spongy receptacles intended for containingsoap or other sud-forming material.

The prime object of this invention is to provide a porous spongyreceptacle, the body of' which is internally severed, cut or slit so asto form a yieldable container into which is placed either a cake of soapor partially used up soap chips, or any other sud-producing material,and which receptacle is provided with a suitable handle, the lattersimultaneously serving as closing means for the receptacle so as toprevent the soap or sud-forming means placed within from inadvertentlyfalling out, or leaving the receptacle in any other form except in thatof produced sud, and ex- .clusively through the pores of the receptaclematerial.

Another object of this invention is to provide in connection with thereceptacle and the handle forming instrumentality, used also for closingthe receptacle, suitable means for reinforcing that portion of thereceptacle material through which the handle instrumentality isattached, which means simultaneously serve as guides for those portionsof the handle instrumentality which pass through the receptaclematerial, while preventing possible injury to v'the latter by the saidthrough-passing portions.

The foregoing and still further important objects and advantages of myinvention will become more fully apparent from the ensuing description,in connection with the accompanying drawings, which latter, althoughillustrating specific forms of myv disclosure, are by no means intendedto limit me to the actual showing, and in which:

Fig. 1 represents one of the embodiments of my receptacle intended foruse in applying sud to the body;

Fig. 2 illustrates another form of my invention intended for use incleansing dishes or other utensils;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modiiled form of my device, similar to thatshown in Fig. 1, and including added features;

Fig. 4 is a typical longitudinal, fragmental section through my deviceshowing reinforcements and guides for the handle;

Fig. 5 is a typical transverse cross-sectional view showing thearrangement of the reinforcing guides for the handle before the latteris drawn together, and with the pocket formed in `the body in openposition;

Fig. 6 is another cross-sectional view through my device showing thereinforcing guides in their initial, co-acting position; and

Fig. '7 illustrates a receptacle made from loofah,

natural sponge, rubber sponge, or any other suitable material which isporous and capable of absorbing water and of permitting sud to penetrateto its-outer surface. The body of the spongy material is cut, slit orotherwise severed interiorly, as indicated by dotted lines II and theexterior slot I2, for the purpose of forming a pocket within' the spongybody whereby a container with yielding walls is produced. In the'formshown in Fig. 1, the lower end of the interior pocket terminates shortof the bottom of the container material, whereas the top end thereof,indicated by line I2, forms an opening or mouth through which soap maybe inserted.

In order to keep the pocket tightly closed, I pierce the containermaterial transversely in at least two places, as indicated at I3, toform passages wherethrough I pass my handle instrumentality, such as acord or ribbon, indicated at Ill, which I tie together at I5. From tiepoints I5, the ribbon extends in the form of a loop or handle I6,adapted to be slung about the wrist, or to serve otherwise forsuspending the device,l as the case may be. By drawing together thepieces of the ribbon passing through the sponge material at I3, slot oropening I2 is tightly held together, so as to prevent the soap insertedinto the pocket from leaving the body, even though it may be used up tovery small dimensions.

The device, such as shown in Fig. 1, is used by dipping it into waterand rubbing the surface thereof, through which operation the soapinserted within produces lather or sud, which penetrates through thepores of the body of the sponge to without, thereby permitting theapplication of the sud to the body or to any oth-er object. It is to benoted that I prefer tohold the upper opening together at at least twoindividual points which are closely spaced from one another in such amanner as to hold the faces of the severed material tightly united..This is important not only for preventing the slipping out of the soapheld within, but also for preventing an inadvertent tearing orenlargement of the top opening made in the device.

Referring now to Fig; 2, in this .illustration is shown a spongyreceptacle, similar to that i1- lustrated in Fig. 1, but of relativelylarger dimensions, which is especially adapted for use in connectionwith dish-washing and for cleansing utensils of different kinds. In thiscase the body of the sponge is large and has rounded sides, as atI1,.and is adapted to contain a relatively large cake of soap in theextra large pocket, marked in dotted lines at I8, which pocketterminates in an outer slot or opening I9. 'I'he latter is again heldtogether by a ribbon 20, which is looped through suitable apertures at2|, made through the material at the upper end of pocket I8, and whichribbon is associated with the body is held together by a ribbon,indicated in ybroken lines, in the same manner as described inconnection with Figs. 1 and 2. However, the ribbon passes throughspecially designed telesooping nipples 26, which are shown in greaterdetail inA Figs. 4, 5 and 6. 'I'hese nipples serve for a double purpose.Firstly, they are intended to form a guide for the ribbon i6', andfurthermore, they serve for the purpose of vreinforcing the passagespierced through the material of the sponge and prevent the' cutting'ortearing of the pierced y portion thereof by the ribbon. These nipplesactually consist of two individual members and preferably have theshapes of hollow rivets provided with flanges 26' and 26 and hollowbodies 21 and 21'. The inner diameter of bodies l2`| is suiiicientlylarge to slidably accommodate bodies 21 of the smaller nipples so thatwhen these nipples are set together, they can compress the spongematerial by their flanges to about onehalf of its original thickness. Ifneed be, the nipples may be shortened to allow a still furthercompression of the sponge materialin oase the material should be tooreadily compressible. The adequate compression of the material isessential in order to tightly close the opening of the pocket formed inthe material.

The nipples are preferably inserted into the material, as shown in Fig.6, and are so arranged that their extreme ends partially telescope withone another. Then the cord or ribbon is passed through the nipples andis tied about the sponge material as shown in Fig. 4. The tying of the-cord causes the movement of the two nipples towards each other wherebythe sponge material becomes compressed. When it is desired to insert orremove a piece of soap, such as indicated in broken lines at 28 in Fig.5, and assuming the soap piece is too large to pass vbetween thetelescoping nipples, the opening is widened in the manner shown in Fig.5, so that the nipples are forced apart, but are held within the spongematerial. At such position the cord or ribbon I6', while remaining.within the nipples, will permit the passage of the soap by bendingoutwards.

In Fig. 7 there is illustrated a piece of loofah in order to demonstratethat natural spongy .or fibrous materialmay be employed as well asarticial Sponges, such as made from rubber. In this case it ispreferable to form in the loofah material 29 a through-passage,indicated at 3B, which, of course, necessitates the closing of theloofah sponge at both ends. For this purpose I provide two narrowlyspaced perforations, near the ends of the through-passage, foraccommodating ribbons 3I; Suitable telescoping, reinforcing nipples 26may be employed in the perforations for preventing tearing of thematerial and for guiding the ribbons. These ribbons are again'shapedinto handles, which may be advantageously employed in using thesoap-filled sponge for bathing and washing purposes.

As handle instrumentality there may be used any pliable binder, such ascord, ribbon, a plurality of cords or ribbons made of either textilematerial, rubber or any other suitable matter, as long as it remainspliable, and is unaffected by the exposure to moisture and soap. Thereinforcing guide nipples may be also of any desired material, but arepreferably non-metallic, or are made of metal with a protective coveringso as'to preclude corrosion or other chemical reactions caused bymoisture or the alkalies used within the body .of the sponge.

While I have illustrated and described specific forms of the materialused for the body of myforming material be passed through the spongematerial at the mouth of the formed pocket, or through-slot, in such amanner as to securely hold the two lips of the mouth tightly togetherfor positively'preventing an inadvertent discharge of the soap cake orsoap pieces contained within the pocket, unless it is desired to removethe soap therefrom. It is further obvious that I shall not `berestricted to the shapes and forms of the embodiments illustrated in thedrawing, and I therefore reserve for myself the right to make changesand improvements in the construction of my device, Without departingfrom the broad scope thereof, as defined in the annexed claims.

I claim:

1. In a receptacle, a body of porous, spongy material, severedinteriorly to form a yieldable container having at least one exteriorlycommunicating passage, handle-forming means in the form of a pliablebinder transversing with both of its ends the material adjacent to saidpassage at least at two spaced points, each of said binder ends formingremovable, but completely closed, loops which fully encircleandimmovably hold, the material portions engaged by them, therebydrawing together and closing the ends of said passage.

2. In a receptacle, as set forth in claim l, telescoping guide meansprovided for said handleforming means in the receptacle material forpreventing injury to the latter by said handleforming means.

3. In a receptacle, a body of porous, spongy material, cut interiorly toform a yieldable, pocket-like container with one exteriorlycommunicating passage, pliable handle-forming means transversing thematerial adjacent to said passage at two spaced points and removablysecured to, and drawing together the material, a pair of telescopingguide means secured within the material at the points saidhandle-forming means pass through the material, the exterior ends of theguide means being flanged.

CHARLOTTE GRAHAM.

